CLEAR SEAS & WHITE SAND - SEA KAYAK THE SOUND OF ARISAIG

6 day expedition Sound of Arisaig Wild camp

WHAT TO EXPECT The sound of Arisaig offers a wonderful area to explore by sea kayak, one of the best sections of coastline for a sea kayaking holiday on the West coast of Scotland. On this trip we will aim to explore as much of the Sound of Arisaig as possible - packing all the gear we need for a 6 day sea kayak expedition. You'll emerge from the expedition with a tale of adventure to tell and the epic photos to prove it.

TRIP GRADING

BLUE

These trips are ideal for those who have some sea kayaking experience and want to build on their existing skills, or want to try a more challenging journey. These trips may involve full day of sea kayaking of around 15km and some slightly rougher conditions with winds around force 3/4. The emphasis is on exploring a wild area whilst building skills and experience in sea kayaking. If you have your BCU 2 star award then you'll fit in with these trips.

For those with some experience of sea kayaking.

Can be suited to those with no sea kayaking experience but a good level of fitness and an ability to learn quickly.

Progressive skills and longer journeys.

DATES AND PRICES

This trip can also be run as a private trip if you have a group of 4 or more.

STORY

Shown as a guide, each trip has its own story, plans are always open to change.

*THE SOUND OF SILENCE - The first few moments of an expedition are always a bit hectic - those last minute flashes of worry as you realise you may have forgotten something. Those awkward few minutes when you pack the kayak for the first time and wonder whether it will all fit. Those first few strokes out from shore, the paddle feeling strange and unwieldy.

Minutes later, and you find yourself a few hundred metres down the coast and still - it really strikes you - that sound of silence as the kayak glides and your world, that last week you were fighting to keep right is suddenly lost, replaced by the thought of future coastline, camp fires and good meals, effort and satisfaction. The start of an expedition.

DAY ONE *THE SOUND OF SILENCE

|Meet Arisaig at 09.30

| Prepare for the expedition

| Sea kayak journey

| Stay - Wild camp

*HIDDEN BEACHES - There is a hidden beach, not marked on the maps, covered by the tide at high water but exposed at low tide to reveal a long strip of white sand.

All afternoon bands of rain and sun had passed over the Sea Loch; hood up, hood down as we paddled through the channels between the islands. The small waves pushed us further into the Loch, the group finding a rhythm in the paddling, occasionally bringing each others attention to the way the sky was changing or the unique alignment of mountains and islands as we moved further from the open water.

The sea changed; the waves flattened out, the wind died and the light shone brighter. Turning a small headland in the Loch we found the hidden beach, its white sand inviting us over to land and explore.

DAY TWO - FOUR *HIDDEN BEACHES

| Explore by sea kayak

| Stay - Wild camp

*FEELING AT HOME - One of the joys of an expedition is that feeling of being out there - immersed in a different world. At first it may feel strange and those urges to reach for your phone are hard to repress.

Slowly we get accustomed to our place on this coastline, we sink in to the rhythms that place us in touch with the landscape - watching the tide, learning from the wind direction and strength, finding folds and gaps in the coastline and weaving a line that is far from the straightest or easiest. As we spend more time on expedition we start to feel these rhythms as natural - we are meant to know them, to feel them and to work with them, and we start to feel at home, like we were always meant to live at this pace. Of course, eventually, we need to return to the speed of our daily lives - we need to leave those slower rhythms behind.

What we have gained is a new context, a new layer of meaning and connection to bring back to the everyday - and that is a thing to be treasured.

DAY FIVE - SIX *FEELING AT HOME

| Explore by sea kayak

| Stay- Wild camp

| Trip ends - Arisaig 16.30

TRIP INFORMATION

DATES AND PRICES

This trip can also be run as a private trip if you have a group of 4 or more.

ACCOMMODATION For this trip we will be wild camping - we'll find some excellent places to camp above wild beaches.

FOOD Includes meals - lunch on day one through to lunch on day 6. We can accommodate any dietary requirements if notified in advance.

A lot of learning about sea kayaking comes from experience and is best done as individuals on the move and in context. We won't spend time on long instructional briefings or static group skills practice but will give you little hints and tips on the journey to make it easier for you and suggest improvements to your technique as we go along. We'll help you develop your knowledge and sea kayak handling skill throughout he 2 days but also allow plenty of time simply to enjoy the journey and the experience of sea kayaking.

The weather on the West coast of Scotland can vary through the course of the season and from area to area - Scottish islands and coastline can see dramatically better weather and more sunshine than more mountainous areas inland. The wind speed and sea state are the primary factors that affect the trip - if the conditions are difficult then we will seek out the more sheltered parts of the Sound of Arisaig. You should note that it is very rare that we have to stay off the water on multi-day trips and the vast majority of trips run as planned. For full terms and conditions see the link below. You can read more about the weather/cancellation/booking on our FAQ page.

Midges are most active during mid summer, it only takes a light breeze or direct sunlight to keep them away and they don't venture out onto the sea, so they are not really a thing to worry about on sea kayak trips. We rarely experience problems with midges on sea kayak trips but they can be present in mid-summer in still and overcast conditions.

We can provide all specialist sea kayaking and camping kit. You'll need to wear the right type of clothes for a more comfortable trip, full details are given in a kit list when you book a trip or if you'd like to read a kit list now then see this - kit list